Graffiti seen from trains passing through Ventura. Photo by Daniel Ingram
By Amber Hansen
In today’s world, vandalism is rampant. It’s not uncommon to see graffiti on nearly every block in some cities. While Ventura isn’t covered in garish spray paint, it doesn’t take a detective to find vandalism on both public and private properties in Ventura. Whether the graffiti is an artistic endeavor or gang-affiliated tagging, it’s an eye sore that Ventura residents want removed.
Many Ventura residents are unfamiliar with the process of graffiti removal. There are, in fact, a few ways that vandalism can be reported and removed. The first step is to identify whether the vandalism is on private property or city property. If the graffiti is in a park or similar city properties, it can be reported to the City of Ventura Parks and Recreation Department. The Department will promptly send out a worker to remove the graffiti.
If the graffiti is on private property, it can be reported to the City of Ventura Streets Department. The department will send out a notice to the owner, stating that the graffiti must be removed within 24 hours. If the property owner does not have the means to remove it, the City will work with them to clean it off and paint over it.
Whether the graffiti is on city or private property, it is necessary to provide the building’s address when reporting the vandalism. If the address isn’t visible for any reason, using Google Maps can help identify the exact location.
The Graffiti Hotline reaches both departments, and is the easiest way for Ventura residents to report graffiti. In the past year alone, the City of Ventura has taken 2,000 reports of graffiti.
With this information, Ventura residents can help keep the City of Ventura graffiti free. Please report vandalism to City of Ventura graffiti hotline 654-7805.
